Closure for liquid container

ABSTRACT

A locking closure for a liquid container. A hollow spout member is mounted on the container. The spout member includes a lower portion having outwardly extending ribs and an upper externally threaded portion. A cap member includes an upper portion threaded on the upper portion of the spout member, downwardly extending resilient strap portions and an annular stop portion supported on the strap portions. Radially inwardly directed ribs on the stop portion can engage the ribs of the spout member when in a normal position to lock the cap member against turning. The stop portion can be displaced from its normal position by an adult for freeing the rib means so that the cap member can be turned to release the cap member but cannot be displaced by a small child concurrently with turning of the cap member.

Oct. 7, 1975 United States Patent [191 Reese CLOSURE FOR LIQUID CONTAINER [75} Inventor: Stanley Reese, Cincinnati, Ohio [73] Assignee: Dome Chemical Corporation,

Cincinnati, Ohio [22] Filed: May 8, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 468,207

portion supported on the strap portions. Radially inwardly directed ribs on the stop portion can engage 02 B m5 2D 27 ;6 6B 0 N 5 in 3 56 AB 2" 2" m i G SL Um ll. 21 55 the ribs of the spout member when in a normal posi- [58] Field of Search........ 215/216, 9; 222/153, 570,

tion to lock the cap member against turning. The stop 222/182 portion can be displaced from its normal position by an adult for freeing the rib means so that the cap member can be turned to release the cap member but cannot be displaced by a small child concurrently with turning of the cap member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,698,584 Miller 215/216 Primary Examiner-George T. Hall Attorney, Agent, or Firm-James W. Pearce; Roy F. Schaeperklaus 1 Claim, 9 Drawing Figures US. Patent 0a. 7,1975 Shet 1 of2 3,910,463

Sheet 2 of 2 3,910,463

US. Pat6nt Oct. 7,1975

CLOSURE FOR LIQUID CONTAINER This invention relates to a closure for a container.

An object of this invention is to provide a container which can be opened and closed readily by an adult but which resists opening by a young child.

A further object of this invention is to provide such a closure which requires a releasing action and a turning action to be performed concurrently to permit release of the closure.

Briefly, this invention provides a closure for a container for liquid such as lighter fluid which includes a spout member mounted on and in communication with the interior of the container. A cap member of the closure has a portion threaded on the spout member and arranged to close a spout of the spout member. The spout member includes outwardly extending ribs and the cap member includes an annular stop portion having inwardly extending ribs which can cooperate with the ribs of the spout to lock the cap against turning. The annular stop portion is connected to the threaded portion by resilient straps which normally urge the stop portion to locked position. An adult can readily urge the stop portion away from locked position to permit unscrewing of the cap but a child cannot cause release of the locking portion while concurrently unscrewing the cap.

The above and other objects and features of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains from the following detailed description and the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in front elevation of a container of lighter fluid provided with a closure constructed in accordance with an embodiment of this invention, partly broken away and in section to show details of construction;

FIG. 2 is a view in side elevation of the closure of the container shown in FIG. 1;

FIGv 3 is a view in section taken on the line 3-3 in FIG. 1 showing the closure with a spout thereof in shipping condition;

FIG. 4 is a view in section taken on the same line as FIG. 3 but showing the spout in dispensing condition;

FIG. 5 is a view in section taken on the same line as FIG. 3 but showing the closure with a lock portion thereof released;

FIG. 6 is a view in section taken on the line 66 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a view in section taken on the line 77 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 8 is a view in end elevation showing the closure with the lock portion released; and

FIG. 9 is an exploded fragmentary perspective view showing details of construction of a spout member and a cap member of the closure.

In the following detailed description and the drawings, like reference characters indicate like parts.

In FIG. I is shown a container 12 provided with an upstanding flange 14 (FIG. 3) on which a closure assembly l6 constructed in accordance with an embodiment of this invention is mounted.

The container 12 can be of the usual construction used for liquids such as lighter fluid or the like and includes a side wall 17 (FIG. 1), a bottom panel 18, and a top panel 19 which are formed into a hollow body. The flange 14 is a part of the top panel 19, as shown in FIG. 3.

The closure assembly 16 includes a spout member 21 which is mounted on the flange l4, and a cap member 23 having an upper portion 24 threaded on an upper portion 25 of the spout member 21. I

The spout member 21 includes a base portion 26 provided with an annular slot 27 in which the flange 14 is received in liquid tight relation therewith. An elongated channel 28 extends lengthwise of the spout member 21 and communicates with the interior of the container. An outer wall portion 29 of the channel 28 extends outwardly of the base portion 26. The outer wall 29 is generally frusto-conic in shape. An outer end of the channel 28 above the threaded upper portion 25 is closed by a tip 31 during shipping of the container. The tip 31 can be cut off at an end edge 32 as shown in FIG. 4 so that during use the spout member 21 is tubular. Between the base portion 26 and the outerwall portion 29 is formed an annular locking portion 34 provided with radially outwardly extending ribs 36. Upper ends of the ribs 36 are provided with downwardly and outwardly sloping bevel faces 38 as shown in FIG. 3.

The cap member 23 is formed of resilient rubber-like material such as polyethylene plastic material and includes resilient strap portions 41 and 42 which extend downwardly from the upper portion 24 and support an annular stop portion 43. The stop portion carries inwardly directed radial ribs 46 which extend into slots 47 (FIG. 7) between the ribs 36 so that the ribs 36 and 46 cooperate to lock the cap member 23 on the spout member 21. Lower end portions of the ribs 46 are provided with downwardly and outwardly extending bevel faces 49 as shown in FIG. 5.'The stop portion 43 also carries outwardly extending tabs 51 and 52 as shown in FIG. 6. The tabs 51 and 52 can be grasped by the user of the container and can be advanced upwardly so that the cap member 23 assumes the condition shown in FIG. 5 at which the ribs 36 of the spout member 21 and the ribs 46 of the cap member 23 are released and the cap member 23 can be turned to release the cap member 23 from the spout member 21 permitting discharge of contents of the container 12 through the channel 28 in the spout member 21. The cap member 23 can be held in the FIG. 5 configuration while it is screwed back on the spout member 21, and resiliency of the strap portions 41 and 42 causes the cap member 23 to tend to return to the configuration of FIGS. 2-4. If the ribs 46 of the cap member 23 are aligned with the ribs 36 of the spout member 21, the bevel faces 49 and 38 abut and guide the stop portion 43 to centered position on the locking portion 34, and any turning of the cap member 23 sufficient to release the ribs 36 from the ribs 46 will permit the cap member 23 to return to the FIG. 2 configuration at which the cap member 23 is locked on the spout member 24 and cannot be removed without the manipulation outlined above so that a child cannot effect removal of the cap member.

The closure structure described above and illustrated in the drawings is subject to structural modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by letters patent is:

1. A closure for a liquid container which comprises a hollow spout member including a lower portion mounted on and in communication with the interior of the container, an intermediate tubular portion, and an upper externally threaded portion, radially outwardly members, each of said second rib members including a downwardly and outwardly sloping bevel face at an upper end thereof, the bevel faces being engageable to cause centering of the stop portion of the cap member on the lower portion of the spout member, the strap portions normally urging the stop portion to a position where the'rib means are arranged to engage and lock the cap member on the spout member, the stop portion being displaceable from normal position for freeing the 

1. A closure for a liquid container which comprises a hollow spout member including a lower portion mounted on and in communication with the interior of the container, an intermediate tubular portion, and an upper externally threaded portion, radially outwardly extending rib means on the lower portion, a cap member including an upper portion threaded on the upper portion of the spout member, downwarDly extending resilient strap portions, and an annular stop portion supported on the strap portions, and radially inwardly directed rib means on the stop portion, the rib means on the stop portion including a plurality of first rib members, each of said first rib members including a downwardly and outwardly sloping bevel face at a lower end thereof, the rib means on the lower portion of the spout member including a plurality of second rib members, each of said second rib members including a downwardly and outwardly sloping bevel face at an upper end thereof, the bevel faces being engageable to cause centering of the stop portion of the cap member on the lower portion of the spout member, the strap portions normally urging the stop portion to a position where the rib means are arranged to engage and lock the cap member on the spout member, the stop portion being displaceable from normal position for freeing the rib means. 